Blog — Data Recovery and Cybersecurity

Corrupted Virtual Machine: Recovering a Virtualized Server (VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox)

A virtual machine is not stored in a partition: it is one large file (a VMDK on VMware, a VHDX on Hyper-V) sitting on a server that is almost always in a RAID array. When the hypervisor crashes, the RAID goes down or this file becomes corrupted, recovery plays out across two layers: first locate the VM file, then rebuild the system and the data it contains. This guide clearly explains the difference between desktop virtualization and a hypervisor (ESXi, Hyper-V, Proxmox), how a virtualized environment fails, and why a snapshot is never a backup. You will also see the mistakes that make everything worse, such as recreating a datastore or launching a RAID rebuild, and the only right reflex in a disaster: shut everything down, reinstall nothing and hand the disks to a lab that works on bit-for-bit copies.

Is the Cloud Really a Backup?

Is the cloud really a backup? No: OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox and ProtonDrive are synchronisation services, not backup systems. This guide explains why that distinction changes everything. An accidental deletion, a corruption or a ransomware attack spreads instantly to all your copies, including those in the cloud, as in the real case of a company that lost everything after its synchronised OneDrive was encrypted. You will discover everything that can erase your data remotely (closed account, provider bankruptcy, payment incident, a data centre fire like the OVH one), why no provider guarantees the survival of your data, and what truly separates synchronisation from a cold or immutable remote backup. Finally, the one rule that protects for good: keep a physical copy, offline and off-site.

A NAS Is Not a Backup: The Costly Confusion

A NAS is not a backup, and this confusion is one of the most costly in business. Because a NAS fitted with RAID tolerates the failure of a disk, people believe it is safe from everything. Yet RAID protects the hardware, never the data: it will save you neither from a deletion, nor from ransomware, nor from a fire, nor from a corruption that spreads. This guide explains what a NAS really is, the nuance with a SAN, and why redundancy does not replace a copy. You will also understand the trap of synchronisation, which faithfully copies deletions and corruptions, backed by a real-life case where two distant NAS units shared the same problem. Finally, you will see what makes a real backup: a separate copy, disconnected and stored off-site, the only last resort when everything else has failed.

Data Recovery After a Fire: What Heat Really Destroys (and What Survives)

Is a hard drive pulled from a fire lost? Far less often than people think. This guide explains why the chances of recovery after a fire are often good, especially for hard drives: the device is rarely exposed bare to the flames, and its metal tower, or even the melted material of the equipment, acts as a shield. You will learn the three forms of damage from a fire (heat, corrosive soot, extinguishing water), what makes a device truly unrecoverable, and the real work of a laboratory: thorough cleaning, replacement of the electronics, cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, opening in a cleanroom and migrating the platters to a donor drive. Above all, two vital reflexes: plug nothing back in, open or clean nothing yourself, and do not wait for the insurer or the cleaning company, because acidic soot keeps eating away and every day counts.

RAID or NAS Failure: The Mistakes That Turn a Fault Into Permanent Loss

When a RAID, a NAS or a server fails, it is almost never the initial fault that loses the data, but the repair attempt that follows. This guide explains why the rebuild is the most dangerous moment in a RAID's life: reading every sector of drives of the same age often makes a second drive fail and, on a RAID 5, everything is then lost. You will understand the RAID levels (0, 1, 5, 6, 1+0), why a RAID is never a backup, and the mistakes that kill: deleting and recreating the RAID, multiplying the handling. The right reflex is counterintuitive: switch everything off, rebuild nothing, bring only the drives to a laboratory that works on bit-by-bit copies. Two counterintuitive pieces of advice complete the guide: mix the brands of your drives and steer clear of proprietary hybrid RAIDs.

Understanding RAID Systems: A Comprehensive Guide to RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and JBOD

A RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) system is a storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disks (SATA, SCSI, SAS, or SSD) into a single logical volume, simultaneously providing data protection and performance optimization. It is one of the most cost-effective solutions for securing your data in a professional or home environment.

Depending on the RAID level chosen, this technology allows you to tolerate the failure of one or more disks without data loss. The most common levels—RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 6—meet different needs in terms of capacity, speed, and redundancy.

Key point: A RAID system does not replace a backup. It protects against hardware failure, but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or physical disasters.